


Heart of Ice

by wolfworldstars



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: DenNor, HongIce, M/M, royal au, unreciprocated HongNor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:42:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfworldstars/pseuds/wolfworldstars
Summary: When the Leon, the Prince of Summer, visits the Winter Kingdom he is entranced not only by the beauty of the land but by the two princes of Winter. But his fascination with Prince Even could ruin his old friendship with the servant, Magnus, while his new friendship with Prince Óskar begins to grow into something more…
Relationships: Denmark & Hong Kong (Hetalia), Denmark/Norway (Hetalia), Hong Kong/Iceland (Hetalia)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19
Collections: Nordictalia Secret Santa





	1. Prince Even

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vulpes_Incendium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vulpes_Incendium/gifts).



> Merry (late) Christmas, Vulpes and everyone in the Nordictalia server! ILY and I hope you like this!! 
> 
> Names used in this chapter:  
> Hong Kong - Ka Lung / Jia Long / Leon  
> China - Yao  
> South Korea - Yong Soo  
> Denmark - Magnus  
> Iceland - Óskar  
> Norway - Even

Leon leaned out of the carriage window, reaching out to catch the snowflakes which danced around them in a flurry.

“Jia Long, sit down.” Yao snapped wearily. “We can’t have you falling out of the window before we even get to the palace.”

“You’re such an old man, I’m fine.” Leon rolled his eyes, grasping for one last large flake to perch on his finger. The fragile snow melted before he even sat down on the leather seat of the carriage, drops of water dribbling down to his palm. It was magical, like nothing he’d ever seen growing up in the Summer Kingdom.

Everything about winter was magical, the tiny drops of snow which coalesced into great mounds and covered the ground. He’d heard it could be moulded into any shape one pleased, like beautiful sparkling cold sand. More resplendent than anything he’d seen thus far was the palace coming into view over the horizon. As the carriage sped toward it, he craned his neck out of the window, ignoring his father’s mumbles of concern. Glimmering walls encircled the magnificent building which looked to be made of pure snow. Its many turrets sparkled in the sunlight, the rooves decorated with ornate blue statues.

A guard in brilliant white armour marched towards the carriage as they pulled up to the gate, his expression as cold as ice. Though Leon was fascinated by the intricate gold patterns which adorned the chest plate, he shrank back inside the carriage while the guard barked orders at the driver.

Leon gasped when the carriage trundled through the gate and he saw the grounds. The trees were bare of leaves, instead the branches were covered in snow with icicles dangling from them. But they couldn’t hold his attention as the carriage was driven over a bridge. Beneath it lay a sparkling lake, but as Leon peered at it he noticed the water was completely frozen. He gazed back at it even as they moved towards the palace until the frozen lake disappearing behind a snowbank.

He didn’t notice the carriage had stopped until the door he was leaning on swung open, and he had to hold fast to his seat to keep himself from falling out.

“Sorry, your majesty,” said the driver, Yong Soo, though the smirk on his face showed that he was anything but. “We’re here.” He took a step back to let Leon climb out of the carriage.

Though the palace seemed the same size as his own home, the glittering walls which looked as if they were made of pure snow, and ornate translucent ice statues gave the place a magical feel and he finally understood how his friends talked about the magnificence of his own palace. As the small party was led up the sweeping marble steps flanked by heavily armoured guards, Leon couldn’t help but feel like an intruder. In Summer, he never felt intimidated by the guards – of course, as a prince he was ranked as their superior so they had more reason to be wary of him than he of them – but in Winter he was out of his jurisdiction. In Winter, he was an esteemed guest but he was no prince to these people.

Leon hesitated on the doorstep, but was ushered through by the guards. His footsteps echoed off the blank white walls to the ceiling high above, a chilling sound which made him feel disconcertingly small. Though he held his chin up in a regal manner, he carefully kept to the white tiles of the chequered floor, avoiding the strange marbled blue ones. It was an old habit that he hadn’t done much since he was a child, but it made him feel a little more at ease in the strange place.

“Leon?!”

He barely had time to place the voice which boomed through the hall as its owner strode towards him, but upon seeing the head of unmistakable spiky blond hair he stepped away from the guards without a second thought to greet his old friend.

“I knew people were visiting today, but nobody said anything about you! I missed ya, buddy.” Magnus bounced on the balls of his feet as he ruffled Leon’s hair.

“Oi, stop that,” Leon mumbled, smoothing his hair so it lay flat against his head. “Missed you too,” he punched Magnus lightly on the arm.

“Still a weakling, I see,” Magnus smirked. He was anything but; gone was the gangly fourteen-year-old who’d been sent off to Winter with a hopeful smile. Over the past five years, Magnus had grown into his build, broad shoulders and muscular arms now matching his tall stature.

Leon scoffed, raising his chin in fake haughtiness. “That is no way to address a prince.”

“Is this servant bothering you, Prince?” The gruff voice made Leon jump, and when he turned around he was greeted with imposing figure of the King of Winter. 

“Not at all, your majesty. We’re old friends.” Though Leon’s voice was smooth, his heart seemed to beat in his throat as the king looked from him to Magnus. 

To his relief, the king’s eyes crinkled at the corners, his tone softening to that of a doting father lightly reprimanding his favourite child. “Right, well don’t spend too long catching up. Magnus needs to make sure my sons are ready for the formal introductions.”

“I could show Leon to his room!” Magnus offered.

The king seemed to weigh this up for a moment, his gaze lingering on the two of them for another moment – Leon was used to this, even as a prince each tutor he’d had gave him the same look while assessing how much of a troublemaker he was likely to be. “Well then, be off with you. You haven’t got all day.” He waved a dismissive hand then turned to Yao.

As the two kings exchanged pleasantries, Magnus took Leon’s bags with a grin.

Even while the other was weighed down by the luggage, Leon still had to skip to keep up with Magnus’ long strides. “You seem to get along well with the king,” Leon said when he was sure the others were out of earshot.

“Well, I am his favourite servant,” Magnus said airily, a familiar twinkle in his eye. “Nah, he just knows me because I just spend a lot of time hanging out with the princes- I mean serving them, of course.”

“Of course,” Leon nodded slyly, catching Magnus’ eye with a smirk. The corridors were just as plain as the entrance hall; the odd blue or purple abstract painting hung on the plain white walls, but the patters all seemed the same. Light streamed in from evenly spaced windows in alcoves, which were framed by thick blue curtains that reached the floor. “What are they like? The princes?” He asked absently as he tried to get a glimpse of snowfall through the windows while hurrying to keep up with Magnus’ long strides.

“They’re pretty cool,” Magnus grinned. “Óskar’s always trying to sneak off, I need to find him before the introductions actually.”

“I like the sound of this guy,” Leon smirked.

“And Even… it takes a long time for him to let people in, but when you get to know him he’s such a sweet guy…” Magnus glanced wistfully into the distance, smiling softly. Then, he suddenly turned on his heel. “Oh, your room’s just over here.” He walked back past Leon a few paces, and opened the door of the room they’d just passed.

Leon examined the room as he followed Magnus in. It wasn’t quite as big as his own room back in Summer, but it was decent enough. Large windows offered a lovely view over the palace grounds. The large bed piled with more cushions than he could count looked wonderfully soft, but as he sat down heavily on it the firm mattress sent a jolt through his body. “Do people sleep on rocks here?” He muttered, shuffling back onto a white fluffy cushion which thankfully was as soft as it looked.

Magnus laughed as he set down the last of Leon’s bags. “It took me a while to get used to, I’ll see if I can do anything to get a softer mattress for this room while you’re here. Anyway, I would stay and catch up, but I’ve gotta go and find that rascal of a prince.” He stopped in the doorway and turned back to Leon with a smirk. “I mean, the other rascal of a prince.”

“Oi!” Leon chucked a cushion at the door as it was slammed shut, and heard Magnus’ laughter from the other side.

* * *

Leon lay back onto the bed, fiddling with the tassels on a cushion. He’d paced around the room several times, and it no longer seemed as spacious as it had done at first, the plain white walls beginning to feel a little stifling. The main problem was that there was nothing to _do._ Gazing out of the window at the twirling snowflakes had been relaxing, but there was only so long he could stay still for while his foot tapped on the thick white carpet and his fingers wore away at the trim on his robes. The room was pretty but there was nothing stimulating; other than a potted plant in the corner it was completely bare of furnishings.

The formal introductions wouldn’t be held until late afternoon – the journey to Winter had been unexpectedly smooth, so with the lack of delays on the road Leon had several hours with nothing to do. Yao had told him earlier that he should wait in his room until then, but if there was one thing Leon was adept at it was sneaking around palaces without getting caught. 

The corridor was empty when he peered through his doorway and slipped out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. He padded along the identical corridors aimlessly, hoping to find somewhere of interest. Perhaps the kitchens, they’d always been his favourite place to sneak off to back home; the cooks had a soft spot for him and would always supply him with whatever scraps they could, and sometimes a slice of cake if they were feeling nice. Although he hadn’t been to Winter before, he was sure he’d be able to charm his way into at least getting a spare bread roll.

Leon smiled at the thought as he walked, but he tensed as he heard quick footsteps clacking down the corridor behind him. Being caught snooping around the castle on his first day there wouldn’t be a great first impression, so he desperately looked around for somewhere to hide. Luckily, a curtain next to him was closed and he dashed through it.

He stifled a yelp as he almost bumped into the person standing behind it.

“Watch where you’re going.” A boy around his age glared at him from over the top of a book. The hood of his navy zipper jacket was pulled over his head, though grey curls poked out from the side.

“Shh.” Leon urged, nodding towards the curtains.

The boy glanced towards it as well, and his lavender eyes widened in understanding as the footsteps continued to approach. There was barely enough room for both of them in the alcove; the edge of the boy’s book poked into Leon’s chest as he pressed himself against the window, watching his shallow breaths fog up the cold glass until the footsteps faded away completely.

“Cosy in here, isn’t it?” Leon smirked to break the silence. 

“Hmph.” The boy pushed the curtain aside. “Now I need to find another hiding place.”

“Where are you going?” Leon asked, following him out into the corridor.

“Hopefully somewhere that you won’t show up.” The boy muttered as he walked away.

“Guess I’ll see you around,” Leon called. He chuckled to himself as he continued on, bells chiming from some far away tower to signify four ‘o’clock. The boy seemed cocky; nobody other than his close friends would dare speak to a prince like that.

The corridor came to a dead end at a set of great oak doors. Leon pressed his ear against them, straining for any sound. When he was sure it was silent, he gently pushed the handle down. He’d surely have time to explore one room before the formal introductions began.

_Shit._

He stopped, hand still grasping the handle, as it struck him. The bell had chimed four; the formal introductions would be starting any minute.

* * *

He ran to the hall at full pelt, and burst through the doors. Buzzing chatter ceased as he stumbled in, courtiers sat on rows of ornate benches turning to look at him. The king, who sat at the front of the room on a grand silver throne, paused in the middle of muttering something to the woman next at him who looked at Leon with an icy expression.

Leon flashed a sheepish grin around the room as he quickly bowed to the king. “Sorry I’m late, your majesty.” He stumbled on the edge of his cloak as he straightened up. The aisle down the middle of the room seemed endless as he hurried down it, though he began to drag his feet over the smooth flagstones as he saw Yao’s disapproving face. 

“Well then, now the introductions can begin!” The king rose from his seat. “I am King Håkon of Winter, and this is my wife Queen Hilde. It is a pleasure to welcome you to our kingdom!”

Timid footsteps edged out from behind the king and queen, and a boy in pale blue robes emblazoned with a snowflake – the crest of the winter kingdom – emerged. He tucked his hair behind his ear, glancing around the room shyly, but his soft rich voice didn’t waver as he gracefully swept into a low bow. “I am Prince Even of Winter.”

The beauty of the splendid palace, the sparkling snow or even the magnificent frozen lake couldn’t compare to the breath-taking sight before Leon. Golden curls tumbled down to the prince’s shoulders, framing a delicate serene face. Dark eyes blinked slowly behind the wispy fringe that fell into them as he bent his head to gaze at the ground, twirling those beautiful locks around one finger.

As he heard Yao clear his throat, Leon tore his eyes away from the mesmerising prince and realised that once again everyone was looking at him. Of course, he had to introduce himself. “I’m Leon,” he stammered dipping into a shaky bow, his head still spinning as his gaze flitted between disapproving faces. “Um, I mean I am Wong Ka Lung, Prince of Summer, but I go by Leon.” The second of quiet afterwards, only punctuated by the shuffling of cloaks and impatient murmurs from the crowd, seemed to stretch out for aeons.

As the ceremony continued dragged on and the talk turned to politics, Leon’s eyes wandered around the room. Through the frost-tinted windows, the sun was already sinking behind distant mountains. He knew that night was longer than day in Winter, but it was strange to experience it for himself.

Yao nudged Leon’s shoulder, and he realised the ceremony had finally ended. His father gestured towards Prince Even who seemed to be trying to make his way out of the room as inconspicuously as possible. “Go on, talk to him. We need to make a good impression.”

Leon’s legs shook slightly as he rushed over to catch up with Even. “Prince Even,” he greeted him, trying his best to sound formal. “I’m Wong Ka Lung.”

“I know.” Even kept walking, but slowed his graceful steps to allow Leon to keep pace with him.

“Of course you do. Um…” His mind raced through possible things to say, surely a nice remark on the kingdom was appropriate. Even glanced towards him expectantly, and Leon noticed that up close his eyes were a magical deep shade of blue, like a shimmering lake under inky night sky. “You’re beautiful- I mean your kingdom, this kingdom. It’s beautiful.” He stammered, feeling his cheeks begin to flame.

Even either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Leon’s flustered state, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the room. “Thank you. I suppose it is a lovely place, though I’ve never known anywhere else.”

Leon followed his gaze, and noticed Magnus was leaning against the wall looking at the two of them, his expression for once unreadable. “Well, maybe once this visit is over you could come and visit us in Summer?”

“Perhaps.” Even inclined his head politely as they reached the throng of people leaving the hall, and glanced back at Leon for a second before reluctantly drifting away to join them.

Leon stood like a statue in the middle of the floor, gazing after him. Well, that went brilliantly. Even had been polite but barely seemed to acknowledge him at all. And why would he? Leon was two years Even’s junior and was hardly the most sophisticated gentleman, as his tutor Arthur was always so keen to tell him. Plus, he badly needed a haircut. He knew he should have got it neatened up before they left like Yao suggested, it was practically growing into a mullet.

He scuffed his feet as he began to walk towards Magnus, but grinned at his friend. “Hey, you free now?”

“Actually, I have to go and do some stuff. Servant stuff, duties and all that,” Magnus said with his best attempt at an apologetic smile as he began to back away from Leon. “Maybe speak to you tomorrow?” He didn’t wait for an answer, and dashed into the crowd.

Leon narrowed his eyes once Magnus’ back was turned. If he hadn’t known better he’d have thought the look in his friend’s eyes was slightly annoyed. Before he could think any further on the matter, there was a tap on his shoulder.

“You seem to be getting along well with young Prince Even,” Yao said, a rare note of approval in his voice. “Do you think he is suitable?”

“Um… what?” Leon raised an eyebrow.

“For marriage,” Yao said, as if it should have been obvious.

“Um… WHAT?” Leon spluttered.

Any hint of approval in Yao’s expression had disappeared. “Our kingdom needs strong alliances, do you not remember me saying we were visiting this kingdom so you can meet the two eligible princes?”

Leon cast his mind back over the past few weeks, but couldn’t remember anything about that. “You might have mentioned it.”

“And of course the festival is next week and all of the nobles in the land will visit this palace; a young Lord or Lady would be almost as good as a prince,” Yao continued. “It’s a shame Prince Óskar wasn’t here today, you’ll have to meet him soon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope that was alright! 
> 
> The names for the King and Queen have no further thought behind them than I like those names, any historical significance is entirely coincidental.  
> I'll explain fully in a later chapter why HK gets called Jia Long and Ka Lung, but basically what I was trying to get across here is that China calls him Jia Long while his official name is Ka Lung.  
> Also! There will be more characters in future because I want to include all the ones in the request!  
> I'm hoping this is only going to be five chapters long but who knows, at least I managed to fit all of this bit into one chapter.


	2. Prince Óskar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon goes ice skating with the intention of speaking to Prince Even, but is distracted by a discovery he makes about the strange boy he met yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New names in this chapter:   
> Australia - Jett

A knocking at the door dragged Leon out of his slumber, and he pulled the white duvet over his head, squinting against the cold early morning light which spilled into the room through thin lace curtains. It wasn’t until the knocking came again and Leon cracked open his eyes that he realised he wasn’t in his own room.

“Breakfast!” Called a cheery call from outside the door, too cheery for this early in the morning. 

He sat up slowly, rubbing his aching back. Magnus must have forgotten to do anything about the mattress. “Come in,” he said groggily. He barely registered the servant with messy brown hair and a plaster on his nose, or the bundle of cloth under one arm, focusing instead on the silver tray in his hand. Pastries were piled on a plate, next to a steaming mug of hot chocolate. As soon as it was set down, he stuffed an iced pastry in his face, barely tasting it and spilling crumbs all over the duvet – which hopefully would be cleared up by the evening – and cupped his hands around the warm mug.

“Hope you slept well, your majesty,” the servant grinned, as if being talked at by an over-enthusiastic teenager was everyone’s wish first thing in the morning. “I’m Jett, once you’re up and dressed I’ll be taking you to the first of the day’s activities.”

“I thought this was a diplomatic visit, not summer camp,” Leon muttered as he picked up another pastry.

Jett laughed as he dumped a pile of clothes onto the end of the bed. “Might start to feel like it, apparently your father wants you to be kept occupied while he’s sorting out business.”

Leon rolled his eyes, but when he saw the heap of clothes he gestured to the pile of bags Magnus had left by the door. Clothes spilling from the one he’d taken his pyjamas from last night while the rest remained untouched. “I brought clothes with me.”

Jett briefly raised an eyebrow at the short-sleeved tunics, and shook his head. “You’ll need warmer stuff for going outside.” 

Leon groaned at the word ‘outside’, almost able to feel the stinging sensation in his ears of being out in freezing weather too long, and took a long sip of the hot chocolate. He shuffled slowly to the end of the bed and began to sift through the pile. It all seemed to be his size, and some of the leggings and doublets looked quite nice, but he stopped as he got to the boots. “What on earth are these?” He picked them up, inspecting the vertical metal slabs which stuck out of the soles.

“Oh yeah, those are ice skates. So you can walk on the ice,” Jett said, gesturing vaguely out of the window, though from where Leon was sitting on the bed he could only see clouds through it. “Confused me when I first came here from summer and all.” 

“You’re from summer too?” Leon swung his legs out of the bed, suddenly feeling a little more awake.

“Born and raised.” Jett grinned. “Been serving here for about three years now. My dad still teaches there actually, you might know him. Arthur Kirkland?”

“Ugh, he’s my tutor,” Leon groaned. “I mean, no offence.”

“Nah, you’re good.” Jett assured him, laughing. “Shouldn’t slag him off too much, but my old man can be a bit of an ass.”

“A bit?” Leon raised an eyebrow as he stood up, the rigid mattress barely moving at all as his weight lifted from it. “Have you seen Magnus recently?” He asked, remembering his friend’s promise. In fact, he was surprised it hadn’t been Magnus who had woken him up that morning. Back in Summer, he’d always brought Leon his breakfast so the two of them could hang out with their friends until the palace staff got wise to their antics.

“Magnus Andersen? We’re mates but I haven’t seen him since yesterday afternoon, he must’ve had the evening off,” Jett shrugged.

“Right…” Leon’s eyebrows knitted as he slowly pulled a pair of dark leggings from the pile. “Well, I’ll be out in a minute.” He nodded to the bundle of clothes in his arms.

* * *

When Leon walked out of his room, bundled in layers of fleece up to his neck and a hat pulled firmly over his ears, he saw Jett leaning against the wall in the corridor.

“Ready?” The servant asked.

Leon nodded, the clunky boots he held bumping against his side as he closed the door. “So, what are we going to do?”

“I’m taking you to the lake,” Jett explained as he led Leon towards the entrance hall. “Loads of us servants go skating out there when we have time off. So do the princes.”

Leon’s heart started to thud at the thought of seeing Even again. He hoped he hadn’t messed things up last time, and at least today he was a little more prepared. The biting chill of the wind hit Leon’s face as Jett opened the door for him, and they stepped out onto the staircase. The path they’d driven down was the only part of the grounds which was cleared of snow, but since the lake would be easy to access from it, Leon was surprised when Jett turned away from it and strode out across the field.

Leon rushed to keep up, wincing as the snow soaked his skin through the thin fabric of his shoes.

Jett saw him struggling, but only offered a smirk. “Want me to see about getting you a pair of snowshoes while you’re here?”

“I’m fine,” Leon grumbled, stubbornly pulling up his left shoe which threatened to slip off.

“I’ll put in a word about it,” Jett decided.

As they climbed over the snowbank, Leon saw the lake he’d seen from the carriage was now covered with people. Servants and courtiers alike twirled about on the ice, and whoops of laughter could be heard from where Leon was standing. Magnus and Yong Soo were among a group of boys who were jostling each other and throwing snowballs.

“Well, I’m off to join my mates,” Jett said. “Look after yourself or the king won’t be pleased with me.”

As Leon approached, he noticed he boy he’d met behind the curtain yesterday crouched at the edge of the lake. “Wait,” he said as Jett turned to leave. “Who’s he?”

Jett laughed, but his expression turned incredulous when he met Leon’s eye. “Wait, you really don’t know? That’s Prince Óskar.”

* * *

“So, we meet again,” Leon said as he crouched down beside Óskar.

The other prince looked at him with the expression of someone who realised the bug they’d tried to swat was in fact still buzzing around their room, then turned back to tying his shoes. “It seems so.”

Leon took off his own soggy shoes, wringing them lightly so as not to deform them before he laid them on a log.

Óskar chuckled softly. “Don’t have any snow shoes?”

“Someone’s sorting that out for me,” Leon huffed, sitting down on the log to pull his ice skates on.

Óskar smirked and headed onto the ice, easily gliding over the glassy surface. As Leon looked up at him, he noticed Even stood by the edge of the lake. The sunlight shone off his golden hair as he tentatively edged one foot onto the ice, his lips pursed in apprehension. Leon longed to rush and him, but wobbled as he tried to stand in his own ice skates. Magnus quickly broke away from his group and glided over to Even, offering his arm which the prince gratefully took for his first hesitant steps onto the lake. Once he was fully on the ice, he began to skate confidently, pushing Magnus’ arm away as if he’d been more of a hinderance than a help.

“Are you going to quit staring at my brother and start skating any time soon?” Óskar asked as he lazily passed Leon.

“I wasn’t staring,” Leon muttered as he stood up, just about managing to balance on the snowy ground in the strange shoes. He took a step towards the lake, his arms flailing to keep him upright. When he stepped onto the ice, his feet began to slide about without his volition and no amount of floundering could keep him from hurtling towards the ground.

A hand caught his arm, and Óskar looked down at him with a disapproving expression. “So says every prince who visits our kingdom.”

Leon straightened up, shaking the assistance off as he took a few tiny strides forwards. “I was just wondering if he’s alright.”

“He’s fine, he just has a thing about deep water. The lake’s frozen all the way through but Even still doesn’t like stepping onto it.” Óskar watched Leon’s skittering attempts at skating with something akin to amusement in his eyes. “You know, most people start from over there by the trees, so they can hold onto the branches.”

Leon’s mouth opened in exasperation as he looked up to glare at Óskar. “And now you tell me.” He huffed, shaking his head. “You know what? I don’t need baby steps.”

“Oh yeah?” Óskar raised a doubtful eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Leon insisted. “I’m the Prince of Summer, I can figure out how to ice skate, no problem!” He took a confident stride forwards. Perhaps too confident, as he stumbled and had to grab hold of Óskar’s shoulder to keep himself from collapsing.

“And how’s that working out for you?” Óskar smirked.

Leon let out an indignant huff, letting go of Óskar’s shoulder. The other prince glided away from him, easily twirling around as he looked back at Leon.

Leon raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Show-off,” he muttered, stubbornly dragging his own uncooperative feet over the ice. He felt an idiot compared to Óskar, whose movements were fluid and graceful, each step taken with direction to carry him smoothly over the surface of the lake. Leon could barely keep in a straight line, tilting off to the side as he tried to skate after the other prince.

Óskar glided back towards him, a smirk gracing his face as he approached. “You doing alright there?”

If there was any genuine concern in his voice, Leon refused to acknowledge it. “Couldn’t be better,” he insisted through gritted teeth.

The small tsking sound Óskar let out could have been a chuckle, but when Leon looked at him all he was greeted with was the slightly condescending smirk which had remained in place since Leon stepped onto the frozen lake. “You’re leaning forwards too much,” he observed. “That’s why you keep losing your balance. Just keep yourself upright and push your feet along. Come on.”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do?” Leon muttered, but as he straightened his back a little he found that his steps didn’t wobble about so much.

He skated alongside Óskar, keeping a hand near the other’s arm should he need to grasp onto anything quickly to stop himself from falling. However, with Óskar moving at a slower pace Leon wasn’t trying to rush ahead as much, and he found it much easier to stay upright.

When they finally reached the shade of the bridge, Leon sagged against the cool damp stone with relief. Despite the temperature outside, his fringe was sticking to his forehead from the effort.

“Tired?” Óskar teased.

“No,” Leon managed between gasps. “I could do this all day.”

Óskar let out a real laugh that time; it echoed off the underside of the bridge, clear as the chiming of a bell. “That’s too bad, I was going to suggest we go off to the kitchens and get some hot chocolate, maybe see if they cooks are feeling nice enough to sneak us some cake.”

Leon tipped his head back, and he tried not to let the relief show on his face as he turned to Óskar. “It’s like you can read my mind.”


End file.
